Display data from a specific time span

When the map contains a layer based on a time-enabled map, image, or KML based service, the Time Navigator will be shown at the bottom of the map. This can be used to control the display of all time-enabled layers in the map.

In this topic you can learn about:

How to animate data over time

Display data from a specific time span

How to display cumulative data over time

If you are editing a presentation, you can set a time span to display for each slide. You can also choose to show the Time Navigator while the presentation is running, allowing the presenter to adjust the visible time span, or to animate the data over time.

Learn more about setting presentation options

How to animate data over time

The slider in the Time Navigator controls the time period which is shown in the map. By using the slider handles you can adjust the period of time for which data is shown on the map at any instance. Click the Play button to begin animating the map; all time-enabled layers in the map will show data for the selected time period shown in the Time Navigator.

When the animation is playing, the Play button changes to a Pause button which you can click to stop the animation and display the data at the time period currently indicated in the navigator. You can also use the Previous and Next buttons to manually move backwards or forwards in the time line, one step at a time.

By default, animation stops once the end of the time span is reached, leaving the map displaying data from the end time period. Checking Loop playback will cause the animation to continuously loop, restarting from the beginning of the time period, after reaching the end.

If the Time Navigator is not visible, this means that the map does not contain any time-enabled layers, or that the time-enabled layers are not currently visible.

By using the Time Settings dialog box you can make adjustments to the time span and intervals shown in the slider, and also change the playback speed. See the sections on changing the playback speed, displaying data from a specific time span, and changing time slider intervals, below, for more information.

Note:

You can find out if an ArcGIS Server map or image service is time-enabled by referring to the REST end point of the service. Select the layer in the Map Contents panel and click the arrow next to the layer to open the Layer Details view, and click the Service Details button. If a service is time-enabled, you will find a section called Time Info on the web page that opens. A KML based service uploaded to ArcGIS Online is time-enabled if the original KML data contains TimeStamp or TimeSpan tags.

You can also choose to show the Time Navigator when running a presentation, so that the visible time span can be changed during a presentation. You can also choose to set a specific time span to be visible for a slide in a presentation. You cannot change time settings while running a presentation.

How to change Time Navigator playback speed

1. Open the Time Settings dialog box by clicking the Settings button at the bottom right of the Time Navigator.

   

2. In the Playback Speed section at the top of the dialog box, use the slider to make the speed of the time range playback faster or slower, then click OK to close the dialog box.

   

How to display data from a specific time span

You can use the Time Navigator to choose a span of time for which to display data. However, if you want to choose a specific day or time as the start or end of the time span, you may want to use the Time Settings dialog box instead, as you can alter the start and end times shown in the Time Navigator so as to have more precise control over the exact times chosen.

1. Open the Time Settings dialog box by clicking the Settings button at the bottom right of the Time Navigator.
2. Under the Time Extent heading, enter the start and end time you would like to display in the map. These times will become the very first and last times that the Time Navigator will be able to display.

   

   You can change the time span in different ways:

   • Enter a date directly in the Start Time and End Time boxes.
   • Use the Date Picker and Time Picker to choose a start and end date and time.
   • Click on the blue time line indicator in the Layer Time Line, and use the menu options to set the start and end date from the date span of a specific layer.

     

   • Use the Time Extent slider to pick a start and end time.
3. In the Time Display section, ensure the A time span option is selected (this is the default setting) and click OK to close the Time Settings dialog box.

The Time Navigator will be updated to show the new time span.

How to change the Time Navigator intervals

The intervals of the slider determine the time change when playing back time-enabled layers and when using the Next and Previous buttons.

1. Open the Time Settings dialog box by clicking the Settings button at the bottom right of the Time Navigator.
2. In the Time Display section of the dialog box, choose the time intervals to display:
   • Select the equal intervals option, and choose the number of intervals to display.
   • Select the frequency option, and select a number of hours, days, weeks, months, or years to use as the time interval.

   

3. Click OK to close the dialog box and update the Time Navigator slider with the new time intervals.

Note:

If working with presentations, be careful when changing time settings. If time intervals are changed, then the visible time span of any slides in the current presentation may be affected, as time spans snap to the intervals in the navigator.

How to display cumulative data over time

By default, data is shown from a specific time span. You can change the time settings to instead display cumulative data up to the time selected in the Time Navigator. This kind of display is more suitable for point or line data, or data that shows different locations according to time; it would not, for example, be suitable for showing image services for the same extent over a period of time.

1. Open the Time Settings dialog box by clicking the Settings button at the bottom right of the Time Navigator.
2. In the Time Settings dialog box, in the Time Display section, ensure the The cumulative data from the beginning of the time extent option is selected.
3. Click OK to close the Time Settings dialog box. The Time Navigator will be updated to show cumulative data.

The Time Navigator slider will now have a single handle, showing the time up to which cumulative data should be displayed. This handle can be moved, and the Play/Pause, Next, and Previous buttons can all be used in the same way as when data from a time span is being displayed. You can also move the slider along the time line to choose the end of the time period for which to display data.